Is grey hair reversible?

 

Earlier this month, we looked at what your hair is actually made of – and in fact, this structural makeup is very relevant when it comes to preventing and reversing grey hair.

While grey hair is something people are embracing and owning, some of us want to hang on to our natural hair colour for as long as possible. Especially in that awkward ‘in-between’ phase when a few wisps of grey are just visible.

Here at MONPURE our main focus is how scalpcare affects the condition of the hair, but it can also play a part regarding how and when you go grey.

As we know, at the base of the hair strand is the bulb where the ‘building blocks’ of your hair are made – where cells reproduce to form the hair shaft. Other cells called melanocytes are also part of the matrix – these give your hair its colour.

It is believed that grey hair is caused by the accumulation of free radicals in the hair follicle bulb, which reduces the amount of melanocyte stem cells and subsequently melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) are depleted. As a result, the hair shaft has no colour pigment, so it grows through translucent – giving it a grey or white appearance.

What causes grey hair?

Our resident General Pracitioner Dr. Simmy Kaur explains further. “Some medical conditions can contribute to premature greying of the hair for example; vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia, vitiligo, hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) and osteopenia (low bone density). In addition to this, various studies have shown that cigarette smoking, ultraviolet (UV) light, pollution, alcohol consumption and even emotional stress can also contribute to premature greying.”

Can you reverse grey hair?

“Greying of the hair is usually progressive and permanent,” she explains. “But there are occasional reports of spontaneous re-pigmentation of grey hair. Is there something you can take to reverse it? Sadly no – but you do have the option of taking really good care of your hair in the first place to make sure that you give it every chance of staying colourful and fresh!”

And while most grey hair isn’t reversible, there are steps you can take to keep the greys at bay, as Dr Kaur explains. “The main thing to do is to make sure that the hair root has a fighting chance to thrive and stay healthy by using a really good quality, silicone and sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner such as MONPURE’s Strengthening Silk Peptide Shampoo and Essence-Conditioner. Recent clinical trials have shown that the addition of antioxidants to shampoos – for example, vitamins C and E (which MONPURE’s shampoo has) – can also help prevent greys. Green tea extract (which stars in the Nourish and Stimulate Scalp Mask), selenium, copper and melatonin have additionally been shown to have attractive anti-ageing and anti-greying properties. MONPURE's formulas contain the most high quality ingredients, including antioxidants and silk peptides to make sure that your hair can thrive!”

Kick-start your healthy hair regime and keep greys at bay – shop our Shampoo and Conditioner bundle here.